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How to Export Zoho Mail to MBOX Format on Mac & Windows?

  author
Published By Karen Chard 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On October 8th, 2026
Reading Time 7 Min Read

Zoho Mail does not have a direct “Export to MBOX” button in the Webmail or on the Zoho Mail Lite application on the desktop. But you can still export Zoho Mail to MBOX format – along with attachments & preserved email organization using desktop email clients like Thunderbird or Apple Mail on Mac & Windows. Although it works for personal accounts the method has various limitations from technical issues to limited export capability in case of “bulk admin/workspace account”. Use RecoveryTools dedicated backup tool to save Zoho emails in MBOX format easily and with complete security.

Why Export Zoho Mail to MBOX? Common Use Cases

  • Running Out of Storage Space: A free personal or basic Zoho account includes 5 GB of mailbox storage – which can run out in no time. Users can save their older Zoho emails as MBOX and access them in desktop clients like – Apple Mail or Thunderbird while regaining quota on live mailbox.
  • Before Account/Platform Switch: Zoho Mail users migrating to another server or closing their active account – don’t want to lose access to emails. Saving the entire Zoho Mailbox to MBOX can be a compact, organized and easily restorable way to do so.
  • Maintain Compliance Backup for Organisations: Businesses using Zoho Mail are also required to create their mail and communication backup – MBOX can be chosen as the required destination.

Prerequisites to Create Zoho Backup in MBOX Format

  • Enable IMAP for your Zoho Mailbox account: IMAP is disabled by default thus connecting to Thunderbird or third-party tools may fail
    1. Log into your Zoho Mail webmail (mail.zoho.com).
    2. Click on the Gear (Settings) icon at the top right.
    3. Go to Mail Accounts >> Your Zoho Mail ID.
    4. Scroll to the IMAP section, check the Enable IMAP Access box and click Save.
  • Generate App Password to Export Zoho Mail to MBOX if 2FA is Enabled:
    1. Go to Zoho Account Settings >> Security >> App Passwords.
    2. Click Generate New Password, name it (e.g., “Export or Backup”), and copy the generated key.
  • Make sure you have enough free space to store exported emails on PC or external drive.
  • Stable internet connection.

Method 1: Export Zoho Mail to MBOX Using Thunderbird (IMAP)

Thunderbird is an open-source desktop email client for Mac & Windows that can help you save Zoho email locally in .mbox format using a free – “ImportExport Tools NG” extension.

  1. Download Thunderbird on your computer.
  2. Open the application via the account configuration POP up – configure your Zoho Mail account.
  3. Go to Menu >> Themes & Extensions, search for ImportExport Tools NG and “Add”. (You may optionally need to restart Thunderbird after this.
  4. Select your Zoho Mailbox, and right-click.
  5. Choose “ImportExport Tools NG” >> “Folder Export (MBOX)” and then choose “With Flattened Subfolders”
  6. Name the export and browse the saving destination on your computer and press “Save”.

Limitations of Zoho Export to MBOX Using Thunderbird

  • Resulted export with flattened subfolders.
  • Limited export up to 4GB (practical cap of ImportExport Tools NG).
  • Common partial exports due to incomplete sync & higher likelihood of corruption.
  • Not reliable in case ImportExport Tools NG is not working.

Method 2: Export Zoho Mailbox in .MBOX Format on Mac Via Apple Mail

For Mac users – Apple Mail can be an easy way to export Zoho Mail to Computer in MBOX without any other installations. But there are a couple of key things you should know:

  • Apple Mail exports Zoho data in a non-standard package MBOX directory containing metadata.
  • Apple Mail or the Mac Mail application automatically limits the export to 2GB – leading to partial exports.
  • Limited export of Zoho Mail one folder (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, and Custom Folders) at a time.

Here are the steps to save Zoho emails in MBOX format on Mac:

  1. Open the Apple Mail app on your Mac.
  2. From the menu bar on top click on Mail >> Add Account.
  3. Select Other Mail Account and click Continue.
  4. Enter your Name, Zoho Email Address, and Password (or App Password).
  5. You may be asked to verify IMAP and SMTP settings for configuration:
    • Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): imap.zoho.com (Port 993, SSL)
    • Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): smtp.zoho.com (Port 465, SSL)
  6. Click Sign In and select Mail.
  7. Right click on the Zoho Folder you are required to export in MBOX format.
  8. Click Export Mailbox, name the folder and choose the destination on your PC.

RecoveryTools Software to Export Zoho Mail to MBOX Format

RecoveryTools Zoho Backup Tool for Mac & Windows lets you directly save your Zoho personal or workspace mailbox in a single MBOX file with all components intact in a 100% secure way.

Export up to 25 Zoho emails per folder for free with the trial version. No need to install any email client and get a backup within minutes.

Quickly Save Zoho Emails to MBOX in 5 Simple Steps

  1. Download and open the tool on your PC.
    Zoho Mail to MBOX tool
  2. Enter your Zoho Mail ID and Password.
    credentials
  3. Select the folder you want to export from Zoho to MBOX.
    required email folders
  4. Choose “MBOX” as the saving option from dropdown.
    select MBOX as the saving option
  5. Browse the saving destination and press “Convert”.

Benefits of Using RecoveryTools to Backup Zoho Mail as MBOX

  • Batch Mode to bulk export multiple Zoho Mailboxes to MBOX for admins & compliance export purposes.
  • No limitations on MBOX export from Zoho account based on the mailbox size.
  • Save Zoho mailboxes as MBOX with attachment, folder & subfolder structure intact, metadata, HTML & RTF formatting, inline images, signature, and email headers like – CC/BCC, flags, message ID, sender and receiver address etc.
  • Granular extraction of Zoho emails to MBOX format – based on filters like Date Range, Sender and Receiver Address, Subject Keywords and you can exclude unnecessary folders like – “Drafts” “Deleted” or “Spam”.
  • Connect securely to your Zoho emails to MBOX – using app password (with 2FA) while ensuring HIPAA, CAPA and GDPR compliance.
  • Export Zoho Mail to MBOX incrementally to download only new or modified emails and run secondary runs for larger exports like 100GB etc without duplicates.
  • Scheduled backup feature to automatically export Zoho emails at scheduled intervals to prevent data loss without manual repetition.

FAQs: Export Zoho Mail to MBOX

Q: Is it possible to extract emails from the personal (free) Zoho Mailbox to MBOX?

Yes, whether you use RecoveryTools Zoho Mail to MBOX export tool, rely on Thunderbird or Apple Mail application – they work for all business admin & user accounts and free Zoho accounts.

Q: How do I get an .mbox file from the exported Zoho .zip / .eml files?

There ZIP emails extracted from “Import/Export Tool” of Zoho account are either .eml or .pst format. Make sure you extract data from Zip first hand. Read Here to: Convert EML to MBOX or Converter PST to MBOX.

Q: Are there file size or quota limits for Zoho Mail to MBOX exports?

Downloads are limited to 10–50 concurrent connections, and excessive rates trigger temporary 24-hour IMAP blocks. Using the RecoveryTools software solution helps you avoid these limits.

Q: How long does it take to create a Zoho backup repository in MBOX format?

The time taken for Zoho Mail account export to MBOX format varies based on the multiple factors like your system specifications, internet speed method opted and your mailbox.

Q: Where can you access extracted Zoho Mailboxes in MBOX?

You can access emails exported from Zoho Mailbox in MBOX format via email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora or via a dedicated MBOX viewer tool.

Q: Why do I only see partial data upon saving Zoho emails in MBOX?

Partial Zoho Mail to MBOX backup is likely to happen due to multiple reasons like:

  • Larger than 2GB export created by Mac Mail
  • Incomplete caching or sync
  • Unstable internet connection

Q: Is there a direct native way to export Zoho to MBOX without any installation?

No. Zoho’s native export creates ZIP containing .EML files; converting to MBOX requires email clients or third-party tools.

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